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Reefer Madness
Powerline ^ | February 21, 2026 | John Hinderaker, 2026 by John Hinderaker

Posted on 02/22/2026 3:36:39 PM PST by T Ruth

There is a growing body of evidence that marijuana causes a number of health problems, but this study is especially sobering, as it encompassed 463,396 adolescents:

Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders by young adulthood, according to a large study published in JAMA Health Forum. The longitudinal study followed 463,396 adolescents ages 13 to 17 through age 26 and found that past-year cannabis use during adolescence was associated with a significantly higher risk of incident psychotic (doubled), bipolar (doubled), depressive and anxiety disorders.

Good Lord.

Cannabis use preceded psychiatric diagnoses by an average of 1.7 to 2.3 years. The study’s longitudinal design strengthens evidence that adolescent cannabis exposure is a potential risk factor for developing mental illness.

We also know that marijuana is a gateway drug, as a not-insignificant portion of THC users graduate to other drugs including opioids, often with fatal results.

It occurs to me that the oft-caricatured conservatives of the 1960s, who were mocked then and are largely forgotten now, were right about everything.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: marijuana; psychdisorders; reefermadness; thc
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To: T Ruth

“Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders”

...........

So their “answer” is to ban it for everyone?

Seems like all the experts here have forgotten attacks on the 2nd Amendment using that very thread of reasoning.

...........

“Adolescents who use cannabis could face a significantly higher risk of developing serious psychiatric disorders”

.

Serious psychiatric disorder?

I could take my DOG to those witch doctors and they would diagnose a “serious psychiatric disorder.”

For the dog...

Taking a kid in is fairly close to child abuse and in many cases, IT IS.

.


21 posted on 02/22/2026 4:24:32 PM PST by TLI (ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
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To: ansel12

I was a part of the scene back then. It was not common in my world. These days the kids will try anything often with fatal results.


22 posted on 02/22/2026 4:29:03 PM PST by shelterguy
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To: T Ruth

Big suck, man. Big suck.


23 posted on 02/22/2026 4:29:36 PM PST by BobL (Trusting one's doctor is the #1 health mistake one can make.)
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To: shelterguy

It was common, I was losing a lot of friends, sometimes a rate of 1 a month for long periods, about 2 dozen by the time I was 19.


24 posted on 02/22/2026 4:33:13 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: T Ruth

The distilling and brewing business and the wineries are facing deep downturns in sales.
So they called up their researchers and reporters... and out come the breathless stories.


25 posted on 02/22/2026 4:33:49 PM PST by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: ansel12

Were you living in the Haight Ashbury area or something?


26 posted on 02/22/2026 4:35:58 PM PST by shelterguy
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To: shelterguy

I lived a very intense life, as you recognize, many areas and parts of cities were more intense than others the 60s involved a lot of violence and death.


27 posted on 02/22/2026 4:41:04 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

“”” the 60s involved a lot of violence and death.”””

Maybe in some parts of the country. Not in most.


28 posted on 02/22/2026 4:42:47 PM PST by shelterguy
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To: T Ruth

Pot-heads, just like leftists; will never admit this.


29 posted on 02/22/2026 4:45:57 PM PST by vpintheak (The left is violence.)
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To: T Ruth

Where’s the “Not This S@#t Again” meme?


30 posted on 02/22/2026 4:46:30 PM PST by GSWarrior
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To: Bullish

And as a recovering alcoholic with 36 years under my belt I say bring back Prohibition, that was a success, not.

And we’ll make pot illegal again and give it back to the cartels.

Works for me. (sar.)


31 posted on 02/22/2026 4:51:32 PM PST by jmacusa ( Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots.)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

“This ain’t your father’s weed, or even the weed that you smoked as a teenager.”

Just curious where did you grow up as a teenager ?

where I am the quality is far worse today than 40+ years ago when you could actually get maui wowie or even better real thai sticks.


32 posted on 02/22/2026 4:53:17 PM PST by algore ( )
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To: Fester Chugabrew

Interesting.

Leftists love to quote the Preamble, “giving” all sorts of powers to the gubmint that the Founders never fathomed, ie promote the general welfare.

Therefore, in theory, you can have your criminalization if you surrender any complaint or opposition to welfare.

Parenthetically, “it does not appear that the Court has ever attached any legal weight to the Preamble standing alone.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/preamble/legal-effect-of-the-preamble


33 posted on 02/22/2026 4:53:42 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
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To: shelterguy

Most of the country was just good ol America and drugs were not as widespread and used as much as people think about the 60s, but it was in the big cities, with the drug store robberies and the smuggling operations, the citywide police sweeps of addresses and individuals that had been built up through intelligence operations, things were hot and heavy during the 60s, it wasn’t just musicians dying, hitchhikers and runaways also were often victims, it was nice times, but tough times in the dope world.


34 posted on 02/22/2026 4:55:04 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

And now it has spread to every small town in the country.
It’s a pretty methed up deal.


35 posted on 02/22/2026 4:58:11 PM PST by shelterguy
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To: odawg

Please review this - https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/90752/is-murder-unconstitutional - then please cite the section of the Constitution where the power to ban drugs is codified.


36 posted on 02/22/2026 5:00:38 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
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To: ansel12
recent introduction

Also, by extension, you should be 100% ok with the govt banning the internet, computers, iPhones, electric guitar, television, radio, automobiles, and Everything Else that lacks the 1000s of years of development, culture, and advancement of Western civilization and America.

37 posted on 02/22/2026 5:00:55 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
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To: T Ruth

Meanwhile there are all sorts of drugs that big pharma pushes on tv and other media daily that have severe harmful effects. Probably half of all commercials on tv are about drugs. “Tell you doctor you may need...” Wtf? I thought your doctor was supposed to tell you what you need.


38 posted on 02/22/2026 5:05:27 PM PST by Omnivore-Dan (have to )
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To: shelterguy
Things have changed for sure.


39 posted on 02/22/2026 5:09:46 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

Weed is nothing. Look at all these zombies who are hooked on meth and whatever other poison they willingly take.


40 posted on 02/22/2026 5:13:23 PM PST by shelterguy
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